1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote control with key lighting to enable a user of the remote control easily to distinguish characters, numbers and symbols of keys or push-buttons on a keyboard of the remote control that are indicative of functions performable upon depression of those keys, the key lighting being provided at night or in a dark place by light emitted from light emitting elements in the remote control.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, remote controls are used to remotely control various household electric appliances or mechanisms at a remote place by use of a variety of frequencies, pulse codes and electric waves including radio waves and infra-red light pulse sequences. For a convenient use, a remote control may be additionally provided with control buttons to have various additional functions. As a result, the remote control may have a complex construction. In spite of such a complex construction, there is no difficulty to manipulate the remote control in a lighted place because characters, numbers and symbols, indicative of functions which can be performed upon depression of the control keys or push-buttons easily can be distinguished. In a dark place, however, it is difficult for a user to find a desired key or button from a number of control keys or buttons. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a remote control capable of being easily manipulated even in a dark place.
Heretofore, various devices have been proposed for attachment to a remote control for illuminating the keys thereof. Examples of such devices and remote controls are disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. PATENTEE ______________________________________ 4,905,127 Kaminski 4,949,230 Burmeister 5,010,462 Mintzer 5,055,977 Acquanetta 5,063,484 Tanaka 5,122,937 Stoudemire 5,172,974 Riban 5,183,325 Hurdle 5,188,448 Siriani et al. 5,203,622 Sottile 5,205,637 Caspari ______________________________________
A typical prior art remote control comprises a housing including a lower case having a circuit board laid on the lower case and a contact plate disposed on the circuit board and adapted to have contacts thereon pressed against contacts on the circuit board for selectively establishing closed circuits on the circuit board. On the contact plate, a key or button fixing plate and a rubber plate having a plurality of keys or buttons are seated. The key or button fixing plate guides the buttons to cause a selected contact accurately to come into corresponding contact with a selected contact on the circuit board. The housing also includes an upper case disposed over the rubber plate. Through the upper case, the keys or buttons protrude upwardly. In the conventional remote control having the construction described above, it is very difficult to find a desired key or button in a dark place without using a separate lighting appliance.
Many of the U.S. patents referred to above are directed to some form of device having a keyboard lighting system and structure for attachment of the device to a remote control in an attempt to solve this problem.
The Tanaka U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,484 discloses a remote control unit comprising a body case or housing including side riser portions at least one of which has a light admitting hole. Between the riser portions, the case has a recess including a floor having holes through which push-button switches extend upwardly. A door is provided which has corresponding push-buttons and which is mounted for pivotal movement from a closed position that is in the recess between the riser portions and adjacent the floor, and is a position where light is projected into a light conducting planar member surrounding the push-buttons to illuminate the push-buttons, to an open position where the light admitting hole is now unobstructed so that light can illuminate directly the push-button switches.